1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium which records communication programs, a communication method and a communication apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium which records communication programs for performing collaboration between client terminals using a plurality of types of communication units having device type information and user identification information, a communication method, and a communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, it is recognized that collaboration by a plurality of persons using a computer system is effective for the improvement of intellectual productivity. When this collaboration is performed, data sharing using a network is facilitated. Therefore, collaboration in cooperation with network users can be smoothly performed. Consequently, there are developed groupware products such as an address book having a function of supporting communication among users or electronic conference aiding applications for carrying out editing and browsing of files while sharing an application.
On the other hand, one user recently has a plurality of terminal devices. Further, also a wide variety of tools capable of performing collaboration are found. Thus, the collaboration method becomes diverse. In parallel with this tendency, communication (multimodal) simultaneously using a plurality of terminal devices or applications is generally performed. For example, the following collaboration styles are established. An application of Personal Computer (PCs) is shared during a phone conversation, or textual information such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or a phone number is communicated through an instant message (hereinafter, referred to as an “IM”) or chat.
Accordingly, for example, when receiving a phone call from a partner, unless the condition of the partner is confirmed, a suitable collaboration cannot be performed. This is because an available collaboration method varies depending on the situation where the partner makes a call using a fixed Internet Protocol (IP) phone or using a softphone which operates on the PC. Thus, a procedure in performing collaboration becomes extremely complicated.
Further, in a case where a user having a plurality of terminal devices or a plurality of Identifications (IDs) properly uses the terminal devices or the IDs at the right place and the right time, the user must individually examine for himself a PC IP address or an IM or chat ID used or must confirm it with the partner. Further, in a case of sharing an application to perform collaboration, both the users must confirm whether an application with an application sharing function is installed or whether these applications have interconnectibility. Moreover, even after the collaboration method is determined, the user must input access destination information into the PC to start the collaboration.
Some softphones which operate on the PC have a mere call function or message function as well as a collaboration function such as a file transfer function, an application sharing function and a shared whiteboard function. Further, some softphones have a user state monitoring function called a buddy list. When previously registering on the buddy list a SIP URI (ID for an application which communicates using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) such as an IP phone or an IM) of a specific user, a user can always confirm a softphone state (such as on-line or off-line) of the specific user. Further, when selecting the softphone, a user can easily make a call, transmit a message by an IM, or perform application sharing. However, use of a buddy list is limited to that within one terminal device and therefore, the buddy list is available only in a phone or IM using a softphone. Moreover, the application sharing function is available only in a PC having installed therein the softphone. Further, by orally confirming an application available to a partner or by manually performing a format conversion if unable to perform the application sharing, a user must transmit a file in some way. Therefore, it is difficult for a user to select a suitable collaboration method. Accordingly, when one user uses a plurality of varied terminal devices at the same time, a complicated procedure is required.
Therefore, there is known a method for holding phone call session information and specifying, when an access request by another communication method is made, a partner from the session information to thereby establish a connection (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-94671). According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-94671, in the act of making a line response in a call center, a customer and an operator can share a World Wide Web (Web) screen and the customer can make a reservation for a phone from the Web screen. Therefore, without specifying a partner ID, the customer can make a call and share a Web page.
However, in Japanese Patent Application Publication Unexamined No. 2001-94671, the following problems occur. That is, the use environment of the collaboration tools is limited to a call center. Further, the collaboration method is limited to a collaboration using a phone and a Web and therefore, is rarely applied to general collaboration using various communication tools or applications.
Accordingly, when each of a plurality of users performs collaboration using a plurality of terminal devices, the users cannot easily find that which application is available to themselves and which terminal device and ID are available to make an access. Further, the users cannot easily control their communication media and applications. Therefore, the users cannot fluently perform collaboration.